Brewed Love
by Hobbit985
Summary: TORCHWOOD CHALLENGE FIC. Written as a challenge against RavenSkyCostello. Set after End Of Days, so beware spoilers. Please mark out of ten and then do the same to Raven's! Tah!


Ianto couldn't help feeling ecstatic as he made coffee once more for everyone. It had been a long week in which they'd thought that Jack was really dead. Even Ianto had given up hope and taken to brooding in Jack's office, taking in the familiar smell of the place.

He hadn't known how he was going to cope. After what Owen had said, he wasn't sure if Jack had ever felt anything for Ianto the way he did for their captain. Maybe it really was one sided and Owen had been right in saying Jack was just using him.

He thought he'd never find out the answer, but then Gwen and Jack had turned up in the Hub, holding hands like they didn't dare let go and everything suddenly seemed a whole lot better.

Ianto had been unsure of how to greet Jack had intended to just shake his hand, but Jack had had other ideas. That hug had been the best of his life, the most heartfelt and meaningful hug he'd ever received. Ianto had expected nothing more, after all the whole team were watching, but nonetheless Jack had kissed him and for the first time since Lisa, Ianto finally found true happiness.

In his opinion that kiss had not lasted nearly long enough, but he knew Jack had to talk to Owen. So now, Ianto was stood in the kitchen listening to the team laugh as they packed up, tidying the Hub. For once the job of cleaning had not been left to him.

Ianto finished making the coffee, poured it into plastic cups and took, Gwen, Owen and Tosh's out on a tray. They smiled their thanks, and headed for the Hub door.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Ianto, yeah?" Gwen said and Ianto nodded.

"Bye, Ianto," Tosh waved.

Owen paused in the doorway. He and Ianto hadn't exactly seen eye to eye the week before and his shoulder was still bloody painful from where Ianto had shot him.

"Sorry for not listening to you," he said quietly.

"Sorry for shooting you," Ianto replied. Owen grinned. 

"Yeah, and I'm never gonna let you live it down," he said disappearing after the others.

Well it seemed like everyone was back to normal. Except for Jack. Ianto turned and glanced through the glass walls of Jack's office and saw his captain with his head in his hands. He wasn't crying, but from what Tosh had told him via the Hub nodes, Jack was feeling guilty.

Their Captain had revealed to Tosh (who decided that Ianto deserved to know) that Jack had stolen his identity from a man who died in 1941. Ianto had listened patiently as Tosh told him everything she knew. And somehow it didn't matter. Ianto would always see him as Jack Harkness and would always be there for him.

Ianto sighed and returned to the kitchen, quickly grabbing a napkin and pulling out a permanent marker. He scrawled something on it and picked up the mug of coffee he'd made for Jack.

Walking carefully through the Hub, Ianto tapped on Jack's office door with his foot and opened it, sliding in.

"Thought you could do with this," Ianto said quietly, holding up the cup of coffee.

Jack looked up and smiled. Ianto was the one person he knew he could rely on totally and could tell anything too.

"I thought I'd never see you again you know," He replied quietly, wondering vaguely why Ianto seemed reluctant to put the cup of coffee down.

"Me neither," Ianto admitted. "I think part of me let Owen complete the Rift machine because I couldn't bear to think that you and Tosh would be torn from us forever."

Jack smiled again.

"You really are too sweet for your own good," he said.

"Thanks," Ianto held out the coffee so that Jack had to stand up and physically take it from him.

Ianto felt his heart melt as Jack's fingers touched his own. He wished now that Jack wasn't feeling so bad. It hurt Ianto so much to see Jack upset.

"I'm going now," Ianto said finally as Jack sat back down and nodded. "I'll be in early tomorrow… you know…"

"Yeah," Jack took a sip of coffee. "I'm sure I can find something for you to do."

Ianto smiled then. That was the old Jack shinning through. Always with the innuendo and Ianto wouldn't have had it any other way.

As Into left, Jack drained the mug of coffee in one, not caring that the hot liquid was burning his throat. He set the mug down and suddenly noticed the writing on the napkin. Frowning slightly he pulled it out to read it properly:

_I know you're still feeling bad about the real Captain Jack (Tosh told me) but I just wanted to say I love you. Always have and always will and I'll still be waiting when you're ready to talk._

_Ianto xxx_


End file.
